MFDOJ got a new 'review' here.
I got a Joy Williams book called 'The Changeling' for free from Small Press Distribution. They have a program called Poetry Trading Post where poets can send them a poem and they will send you back any book you want out of their catalog. If you give them permission to print the poem you could appear in their new lit guide. Print or online version. Thank you very much Small Press Distribution!
Here are some pics for you from my trip to Newport:
Cambridge (?) Dam:
Clyde River Dam:
Clyde river below last dam:
Newport in the afternoon:
Newport in the evening:
And, one last thing. When I was in Newport I noticed the Warren "Jersey" Drown Memorial Parking lot which seemed odd to me. He died a few months after my father and I thought the dedicated a tree to him that was in the little park by the parking lot. So I did some research. I found the Journal to the Joint Assembly from Jan 8th 2002. This is actually Howard Deans State of the State address. Here is a copy and paste if you don't feel like searching for what I am talking about:
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“Shortly after I signed the controversial clear-cutting bill, I met Warren “Jersey” Drown at a meeting of POST – a group that strongly opposed the law. Jersey, a forester from the Northeast Kingdom, came up to me after the meeting and we talked about his objections. That began a friendship that continued until the time of his death a few weeks ago.
“In fact, a couple of years ago Jersey sent me 100 pine seedlings that I planted on my property in Lowell.
“One day about two years ago, Jersey called me at home. He said, “Howard, you know how you built that state building facing Lake Memphremagog so the whole town would turn toward the lake? Well, if the cars are parked in the building’s lot, you can’t see the lake when you’re driving up Main Street. You need to lower that lot so we can see the lake.”
“The next day I drove to Newport and looked at that parking lot -- and sure enough, Jersey was right. I called Tom Torti in the Buildings Department and asked him to lower the lot by a foot-and-a-half. And now, when you drive down Main Street in Newport by the state office building, you can see the lake, even if the parking lot if full of pickup trucks.
“All because one man – Jersey Drown – called me at home and made a simple suggestion.
“Today I ask the Legislature to name the parking lot of the Emory A. Hebard State Office Building in honor of Warren Drown -- a sportsman, an historian, a great story teller, and a true Vermonter.
“The Drown family is here today, and I ask that they stand so we may pay tribute to all those Vermonters -- like Jersey -- who make a difference in our lives."
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My main problem with this is they dedicated a parking lot to him. Sure, It was one he helped change, but a parking lot? Howard signed a clear cutting bill and Jersey sent him trees. Sounds like something he would do. Jersey was a real woodsman, sportsman, story teller, forester and true Vermonter with a sense of humor.
I'm sure Jersey would laugh if he saw a parking lot dedicated to him. He said the lot was blocking the view of the lake, they lowered the lot and dedicated it to him after he died. I would imagine he would have really seen the irony.
If they were thinking at all they would have dedicated the light house they put in the little park next to the parking lot to Jersey. Jersey was, after all, watching out for the residents of Newport when he made that suggestion and he did it for the view of the lake. His concern was the lake and the residents. The parking lot was the thorn in the side. Since when do you dedicate the thorn?
I'm going to share my Jersey Drown story with the internet to offset Howards.
I think I was just out of high school or maybe in my senior year. I mowed lawns all summer. I forget how many I was doing. There were at least 5 or six. One was Jerseys house and the other his camp on Mephremagog.
Jerseys camp lawn was a pain. It was on a dirt road so the top was full of stones. There were pricker bushes hanging over one side and shrubs hanging on the other. Next to the rocky waterfront the lawn was pushed up and bumpy. It may have had a clear edge and a beach at one time but the years of erosion ate it away and left it a stony mess. The distance from the road to the waterfront wasn't too far but it was hill from beginning to end.
There were boats that needed to be moved and mowed around which often hid bees nests. There was a large thick moss patch that held water like a sponge and bogged down the mower. The entire lawn was pitted and full of holes.
I showed up to mow his camp lawn one really hot afternoon while he was there. I was in a horrible mood. I don't remember why. It was probably a number of unimportant things that seemed really important at the time. I was not happy about mowing the lawn that afternoon but it had to be done.
I was probably 3/4's done, sweating like crazy and about to hit the waterlogged moss patch when Jersey comes around the corner and waves at me to stop. I do and he motions me over to the bench that's on the edge of the rocky beach.
I assumed he wanted to talk to me about something. I didn't really want to stop because it was prolonging my time there and I was grumpy about doing it as it was but I had no real choice.
I go over and sit on the bench. He hands me a cold coke. We open them and drink. . I got a little confused after a second and said, "Did you want to talk to me?" He just shook his head in a non yes / non no type way and said, "Just look." So I did.
I remember the way the lake looked. It was a summer day at the lake. There was nothing crazy in the sky, no impressive clouds or wildlife around. Just the lake, and occasional boat speeding by in the distance and one trolling by a little closer probably looking for salmon.
I took another drink. It was colder this time. There is nothing like coke in a can when you are hot and gross. I sat there for a few minutes drinking. I was halfway through the coke when I realized I was halfway through and had to start rationing. I was enjoying my time on the bench and wanted it to last longer. I thought it was over when the coke was gone. Back to work time.
I took a small sip and felt my face relax. When I felt my face relax I realized what expression must have been on it. Then I realized Jersey must have seen me from inside with that look on my face stressing out, hot and sweaty, completely unimpressed with everything hating what I was doing.
That's why he wanted me sit on the bench. He saw I needed to slow down and take a second to recognize what was around me and appreciate it for what it was. The lawn wasn't a horrible torture device there to make my bad day worse. It was a gateway to an opportunity to spend some time relaxing at the lake. An opportunity to appreciate whats there and whats always there.
Then I realized that the break wasn't over when my coke was gone so I took a large gulp. I felt refreshed.
We sat there for a little while longer. When he got up I got up. He told me I could go back there and use his cabin or boats anytime I wanted. Just let him know. I thanked him and went back to mowing in a much better mood.
I never went back to use his cabin. I didn't have to. He only said two sentences to me and pointed his finger and it taught me some things I really needed to know. 1. It's always ok to slow down. 2. Beauty is everywhere its important to make time to appreciate it. 3. You need to see things for what they are and react appropriately. 4. There is never reason to not be happy when nature is around.
Really, I didn't know Jersey well. Aside from mowing his lawn and visiting his sons sugar house every year (one year we tapped trees and fallen dead branches off the lines together) I really didn't talk with him much. However, I think just about anyone that did know him, even for a little while, knew about his reputation within the community as a person who appreciated nature and his community.
I'm sure no one who thinks of him ever thinks of parking lots.
That's about it I guess. I should re-read this whole thing before I post it but instead I'm going to bed. Hope it wasn't too fucked up.
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